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THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS

FOOD FROM MY FRONTIER

A collection of basic recipes to guarantee a full belly and an empty plate.

Bestselling cookbook author Drummond (The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels—A Love Story, 2011, etc.) returns with another compilation of mouthwatering recipes.

The recipes are designed to “win friends, influence people, garner marriage proposals, foster friendships, mend fences, and make you the most popular person in town”—or to fill the comfort-food needs of the non–weight-watching crowd. The average cook will have no trouble duplicating these easy-to-follow recipes. Drummond’s step-by-step instructions are illustrated with photographs at each stage in the recipe, leading readers from beginning to end. Covering all types of meals from breakfast, lunch and supper to party foods, beverages and desserts, many recipes are similar to what our mothers might have cooked before recipes became more health and calorie conscious. Familiar dishes such as ranch-style chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches and fancy macaroni and cheese will appeal to the reader’s desire to cook hearty foods with a modicum of expertise, time and money being spent in the process. Drummond makes exotic-sounding dishes such as “Italian Meatball Soup,” “Caprese Salad” and “Honey-Plum-Soy Chicken” as simple as frying an egg for breakfast. Interspersed with the recipes are more photographs of the author’s life on her ranch. Some readers may delight in Drummond’s down-home way of speaking directly to the reader, while others may find the interaction a bit snarky and annoying.

A collection of basic recipes to guarantee a full belly and an empty plate.

Pub Date: March 13, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-06-199718-1

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012

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DYLAN GOES ELECTRIC!

NEWPORT, SEEGER, DYLAN, AND THE NIGHT THAT SPLIT THE SIXTIES

An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...

Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.

The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.

An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.

Pub Date: July 25, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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